Launch: The Curious Diplomat by Lachlan Strahan (Avid Reader, Brisbane)
25 March at 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm AEDT
Join us for the Brisbane launch of The Curious Diplomat by Lachlan Strahan. Lachlan will be joined in conversation by Peter Varghese AO, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
ABOUT THE BOOK
From the Indo-Pacific and beyond, a riveting insider’s account of diplomacy and politics, and Australia’s position in the world.
‘Lachlan, what do you actually do as a diplomat?’ In The Curious Diplomat, Strahan answers that question, taking readers inside the world of Australian diplomacy. From the icy heart of North Korea to the halls of the United Nations, this is a riveting insider’s account of diplomacy, politics and the evolution of Australia’s place in the world over the last 30 years.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Lachlan Strahan is a historian and former diplomat. His book Australia’s China (1996) has become a key work on Australia–China relations. His account of a series of crimes in Papua New Guinea after the Second World War, Day of Reckoning, was shortlisted for the 2006 NSW Premier’s Australian History Prize, and his most recent book, Justice in Kelly Country – which traces the story of his great-great-grandfather, a policeman who hunted Australia’s most notorious bushrangers – was shortlisted for the 2023 Prime Minister’s Award for History.
Peter Varghese has served as Chancellor of The University of Queensland since 2016. He chairs the Australian Public Policy Institute, sits on the boards of CARE Australia and North Queensland Airports, chairs Asialink’s advisory council, and sits on the governing board of the Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He is also a director of the organising board for the T20 Cricket World Cup. Mr Varghese has previously served as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, High Commissioner to India and Malaysia, Director-General of the Office of National Assessments, Australia’s peak intelligence agency, and the senior international adviser to Prime Minister John Howard. He is also the author of the 2018 India Economic Strategy to 2035 commissioned by the then Australian Prime Minister. Mr. Varghese graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and a University Medal in history from The University of Queensland.
